EU delays methane rules to ease pressure on energy security

The European Council on Friday agreed to postpone the implementation of key methane monitoring and reporting requirements for oil, natural gas and coal imports by one year, aiming to ease pressure on the bloc's energy security amid disruptions to global energy markets caused by the conflict in the Middle East. Monitoring, reporting and verification obligations for importers will now apply from Jan. 1, 2028, instead of Jan. 1, 2027, according to a statement.

The decision also delays methane-intensity reporting requirements for both importers and EU producers until Aug. 5, 2029, from the previously scheduled date of Aug. 5, 2028. Meanwhile, maximum methane-intensity requirements for importers and domestic producers will take effect on Aug. 5, 2031, one year later than initially planned. The council said the postponement aims to avoid placing additional pressure on the EU's security of energy supply at a time of heightened geopolitical uncertainty in global energy markets.

The commission may also propose additional amendments to the regulation if implementation difficulties persist or if energy security faces further risks. Adopted in May 2024 and entering into force in August of the same year, the EU methane regulation introduced requirements for measuring, reporting and verifying methane emissions in the energy sector, including transparency obligations for imports of crude oil, natural gas and coal. Methane emissions are responsible for approximately 30% of global warming.